If you knew then what you know now about haircare...

[JLove74]

Boy hindsight is really 20/20. Before coming to the board I was doing all kinds of stuff to my hair that I wouldn't even think twice about doing now.

What are some of things that if you used to do that you wouldn't do now?

For me:
I used to wash my hair in the sink
Only deep conditioned when I got a relaxer
Didn't use a leave-in
Blow dried dripping wet hair
Used flat-iron EVERYDAY
Pink Oil was my best friend......

Gosh....the list could go on and on....

 

[KhandiB]

Sun In
Gold N Hot and Rave Hairspray
Using a curling iron every day
Using Brown Gel
I didnt use leave in either

 

[CandiceC]

I abused the curling iron and I would relax my hair waaay too much the summer I was 15. I'm ashamed to even say how often. I shouldn't have even relaxed my hair more than once that summer. Shoot. I shouldn't have even relaxed my own head.

 

[nelli711]

1) Keep my hair in braids for months & take them out and relax the next day.
2) Relaxed all my hair instead of just the new growth
3) Used thermal tools without heat protection
4) Used cotton scarves to tie my hair up at night
5) I used rake thru my hair with small tooth combs
6) Brushed wet hair

 

[secretdiamond]

1) Keep my hair in braids for months & take them out and relax the next day.
2) Relax all my hair except the new growth
3) Used thermal tools without heat protection
4) Used cotton scarves to tie my hair up at night
5) I used rake thru my hair with small teeth combs
6) Brushed wet hair

that's funny!

 

[Tene]

1. Using grease and pink oil

2. Not using any kind of moisturizer

3. Only getting my hair washed when I got a relaxer which was every 2 months

4. Brushing my hair wet

5. Using a curling iron everyday

6. Getting all of my hair relaxed

7. Never tying up my hair at night

8. Never used a leave-in

 

[Country gal]

I would of stop perming a long time ago.

 

[atrinibeauty]

I WOULD BE AU NATURAL!~(Cut All My Hair Off In 2000 And If I Knew Taking Care Of Natural Hair Could Be So Easy I Would've Never Ever Put A Relaxer Back In My Hair )
Combing Wet Hair
Using Wide Tooth Combs
Using Heat Very Sparingly
Washing Hair In The Shower
Little Manipulation

 

[nelli711]

that's funny!

Oh goodness, I didn't realize I made a mistake lol. I meant to say that I relaxed all of my hair even the new growth. My boyfriend was messing with me while I was typing. I'll go change it.

 

[berry87]

Man i would have stayed natural i had armpit length when stretched. It would be sooo long now (relaxed in 04) hot mess!!!

I used to :
*relaxed every 8 weeks bone staright(i know i overlapped )
* Brush my hair everyday all day
* Didnt know a darn about silk or satin scarfs at night (only cotton)
* Rolled that grease all up and through my hair
etc etc

 

[dreysonsmommy2011]

Well i used to:
1)never deep conditioned
2)washed my hair once every blue moon
3)always used vaseline to moisturize my hair(big no-no)
4)combed hair with small-tooth combs
5)relaxed hair every month

and I could keep going...no wonder my hair never grew past neck length. Thank God for LHCF!!!

 

[LovelyLionessa]

This is a great thread. Y'all are making me laugh as you remind me of my past hair sins:

I used to wash my hair once in a blue moon too. erplexed
I gave velcro rollers a whirl.
Used grease as my only leave-in.
I used to rake a comb through my dry hair.
When I tried to transition, I lost lots of hair during combouts through my new growth and ends.
I used protein rich products that caused breakage.
I left my haircare in the hands of scissor happy and incompetent stylists with a vision (or lack thereof) for my hair so widely divergent from my own.

And here's the kicker, the mother of all my greatest hair sins, after being in braids for 3 years straight, I allowed my stylist to relax my hair the day after coming out of braids, and then I let them do a corrective relaxer through the length a week or so later.


Without that little set back, I d@mn sure would've been at waistlength by now. I just didn't appreciate my hair back then. Well you live and learn.

 

[SerenityBreeze]

Well I used to:

1) Laugh at deep conditioning
2) Go more than 2 weeks without washing
3) Never Moisturize
4) Into week 3 w/o washing use the curling iron on my dry, dry hair
5) Relax every 4 weeks
6) Use curling Iron Every Day

This site has been heaven sent!

 

[MSLONG]

I used to:

1) Wrap my hair every night with a cotton wrap cap
2) Trim ends with every relaxer
3) Not know the difference between moisture and protein products
4) Not know the difference between breaking and shedding

 

[FineChyna]

for starters i should have never begged my mom for a perm. i was natural until i was 11 and my hair was pretty long. after that my hair was ruined

anyway i never mositerized-i thought grease did that
i used to get my hair squeaky clean
used to brush my hair with bristle brushes and comb my hair with a small tooth comb
never washed my hair after swimming

 

[inthepink]

The only things I would have done differently are:
1. Used lower heat settings on my blowdryer
2. Used a heat protectant
3. Wore my hair up a little more often

 

[jngn]

Boy hindsight is really 20/20. Before coming to the board I was doing all kinds of stuff to my hair that I wouldn't even think twice about doing now.

What are some of things that if you used to do that you wouldn't do now?

For me:
I used to wash my hair in the sink
Only deep conditioned when I got a relaxer
Didn't use a leave-in
Blow dried dripping wet hair
Used flat-iron EVERYDAY
Pink Oil was my best friend......

Gosh....the list could go on and on....

I still do that (the bolded sentence) . I likes to take hot showers. I can't wash my hair in that. Does washing over the sink produce tangles or something?

Boy, the things I use to do to my hair

-Relax and hot curl on the same day!
-Wash it with any ole shampoo.
-Use any ole conditioner.
-Heavily grease my scalp with Blu Magic grease, I never thought about my ends. No wonder my hair always broke off.
-I use to use LA Looks styling gel on my natural hair, without putting oil or anything on first. I would just wash, condition, and slap on the gel to try to get my hair to wave and curl up, something it did not/doesn't do naturally. I looked a hot mess, but you couldn't tell me nothing! I looked like Luther Vandross (RIP). Think big Luther, Jherri curl not just right, Luther. Yeah. I've come a long way.
-Press my relaxed hair
-The list goes on and on.

 

[LovelyLionessa]

I still do that (the bolded sentence) . I likes to take hot showers. I can't wash my hair in that. Does washing over the sink produce tangles or something?

Boy, the things I use to do to my hair

-Relax and hot curl on the same day!
-Wash it with any ole shampoo.
-Use any ole conditioner.
-Heavily grease my scalp with Blu Magic grease, I never thought about my ends. No wonder my hair always broke off.
-I use to use LA Looks styling gel on my natural hair, without putting oil or anything on first. I would just wash, condition, and slap on the gel to try to get my hair to wave and curl up, something it did not/doesn't do naturally. I looked a hot mess, but you couldn't tell me nothing! I looked like Luther Vandross (RIP). Think big Luther, Jherri curl not just right, Luther. Yeah. I've come a long way.
-Press my relaxed hair
-The list goes on and on.

Oh, girl, LMAO big time!! Reading this just like watching the Kings of Comedy! Whoowee, I love me some LHCF!

 

[punchinella]

Relax every 4 weeks.
Trim with each touch up.
When I tried to stretch I did not use any oils or moisture (major breakage).
Listen to the stylist when she said only oil your scalp, never put oil on your hair.
Blow dry soaking wet hair with comb or brush attatchment.
Sleep with hair uncovered (on cotton pillowcases).

 

[felicia]

The only things I would have done differently are:
1. Used lower heat settings on my blowdryer
2. Used a heat protectant
3. Wore my hair up a little more often

same here. plus, i wouldn't have colored my hair so much <--that's what i regret most. also, not using a sleep cap or anything on my head at night.

 

[Shaniquah]

HOT COMB!!!!!
Wish I discovered Infusium 23
Pink Oil (only for a hot minute though )
Never wrapped my hair at night
Never rollerset my hair
Hawaiian Silky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[alexstin]

Never deep conditioned, used heat about 3-4 times a week, relaxed every 5-6 weeks and then I had the nerve to only wash about every 2 weeks. I could go on but I'll stop.

 

[LovelyLionessa]

HOT COMB!!!!!
Wish I discovered Infusium 23
Pink Oil (only for a hot minute though )
Never wrapped my hair at night
Never rollerset my hair
Hawaiian Silky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, how could I forget the dreaded Pink Oil?

 

[locabouthair]

use grease
relax every 6 weeks

 

[natstar]

I have natural hair and these are the things I use to do that I don't do (or rarely do now):

Combing while my hair is dry

Sleeping on cotton pillowcases

Not washing my natural hair in sections (I would lose tons of hair when I did this)

Not taking advantage of protective styles such as twisting

Using tons of heat

Trimming every three months when I was trying to grow out my hair

I have learned so much this past year since joining LHCF, my hair is wayy different now

 

[kbody4]

Relaxed every 6 weeks and never noticed major new growth
I washed my hair every two weeks
Used the curling iron daily even on dirty hair
Religiously used the blow dryer on each wash on high heat
Never deep conditioned
Barely used moisturizers and if I did, it was Pink Oil

Then I will get mad because my hair would not go past shoulder length

 

[Alliyasmom]

Up until now I rarely took care of my own hair. I got my hair professionally relaxed (every 4-6 weeks) and washed every 2 weeks. On the rare times I was forced to wash my hair myself, I purchased whatever shampoo was on sale; I didn't think it mattered. I flat ironed my hair almost daily, never moisturized because I didn't know the importance of it & didn't want my hair weighed down, never thought about taking vitamins, and trimmed way too often. Thank goodness I've educated myself. I'm still a work in progress but I've come a long way!

 

[KiniKakes]

Oh gracious!!! Where do I start???!!!!!!

These are the mistakes that I made in the past, that prevented my hair from growing beyond a certain length:

*combing my hair often throughout the day, and with medium tooth comb.

*wrapped my hair every night, in the SAME direction, and securing the wrap with a hard BRUSH

*relaxing my hair every 6 weeks, and sometimes a few days sooner, if I felt that it "needed" it

*using a Regular touch-up. All my fine hair ever needed was Mild

*playing in my hair with my fingers (combing through it absent-mindedly and/or twirling it around my fingers)

*failing to wear protective styles (ie, wearing it down often, so that the ends are frequently brushing against my rough cotton coat or shirt)

*not moisturizing properly, esp. not the ends. This resulted in dandruff and dry, rough ends that would break easily

*trimming too much and too often. A good trim once (or perhaps twice) a year is all i ever really need.....

*dying my hair, using permanent dye w/bleach, repeatedly, sometimes several times in a month

*Using a curling iron on a daily basis. (But I am proud to say that I havent used direct heat in nearly 7 years--basically, since undergrad).

 

[GoGoChik]

I wore my hair down everyday for 4 years. Every winter I would wear wool sweaters and coats and my poor ends were just rubbing up on them. And the only moisturizer I used was hair serum.

 

[Honi]

Slept with a cotton scarf
"Dyed" my hair with red kool-aid in high school
Didn't know the difference b/t moist. Conditioners vs. protein conditioners
Blew my hair bone dry on the highest setting only to turn around and spray it with Infusium 23 to get the moisture back because it felt dry. LOL
Pink oil
Bobby pins
Hair accessories that were unfriendly to my hair
Only hair products I knew about was CON and QH cholesterol. Didn't want to try anything new or better.
Pressing new growth with a hot comb